Unit #6 Compare/Contrast
Themes in Literature
The Metamorphosis
Essential Questions
The Metamorphosis - Part 1
Essential Questions
Answer each of the following questions thoroughly and
thoughtfully. You will be asked to share your thoughts
with the class.
#1
#2
#3
What do people
need to be
happy? Does
modern life
support those
needs or work
against them?
Explain:
What makes
humans feel
powerless?
Explain:
What does it
mean to be
human? Can a
non-human be
human? Can a
human be
inhumane?
Explain:
Small Group Discussions
You will be placed into small groups of 4. Follow the
steps below to guide your group discussion.
1. Start with essential question #1. Each group member
share your thoughts and response. Compare your
ideas - 3 minutes
2. Each group member share your thoughts and response to
essential question #2. Compare your ideas - 3 minutes
3. Each group member share your thoughts and
response to essential question #3. Compare your
ideas - 3 minutes
4. Share ideas as a class in a brief discussion.
Small Group Discussions
Thoughts from 1st period…
#1
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#2
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#3
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Power
Friends / support from others
Identity that others see as valuable or viable
Modern life distracts
Social media can validate / cut down a person’s identity
○ Potential for both positive and negative effects
Self-worth taken away by others
Your own mind
○ Attitude and reactions
Outside factors
Not being loved
Not being respected
○ Affects all other areas and sense of power
Emotions, likes, dislikes
DNA and physical structure
○ Opposable thumbs :)
Unified language
Animals can communicate, show compassion and emotion, etc. What makes humans so different?
Small Group Discussions
Thoughts from 3rd period…
#1
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#2
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#3
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Money, support, basic needs and essentials
Happiness depends on personal preference
Materialism doesn’t = true happiness
Comfort (why people think materialism = happiness)
Don’t know true happiness until it’s been presented to you / found
No control / don’t have a say in what happens to you
Being powerless helps people grow
Fear of the unknown
Being unable to help others - feeling helpless
Hopelessness
Purely physical traits are what differentiate
Experiences, mistakes, learning from them
Ability to be cognizant; reflect on our emotions and actions
Rational thought, logic, reason
Identity and the ability to change or choose
Conscience, knowing right from wrong
Small Group Discussions
You will be placed into small groups of 4. Follow the
steps below to guide your group discussion.
1. In your small group, discuss the following about ch. 1
of The Metamorphosis:
a. What do you know about Gregor Samsa’s life?
b. What had happened to Gregor when he woke up
in the morning in ch. 1?
c. What could his transformation be a metaphor
about/what does it symbolize?
d. What topics do you think are being addressed in
The Metamorphosis? Think about the topics you
have identified in other works read/viewed
during this unit.
▣
▣
▣
▣
Topics in ch. 1
Alienation / Belonging
Identity
Family relationships
Changes
Other Topics
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Duty and responsibility
Guilt
Effects of work / The economy on relationships
Finding an escape
Personal happiness / The happiness of others
Accepting oneself / Accepting fate
Now continue reading
The Metamorphosis
Begin ch. 2 - read ½ of ch. 2
(finish the first ½ of ch. 2 tonight if not
done in class).
Now continue reading
The Metamorphosis
FINISH ch. 2 and BEGIN reading ch. 3.
ch. 3 must be completed at home by Friday.
Week of
3/7/16 - 3/11/16
This week you are going to
practice your essay writing
skills using your analysis of
The Metamorphosis.
You should have topics and themes
already identified on your Topic and
Theme Tracker handout. Choose one
theme to use for this practice.
For the next 10 minutes,
write a thorough
introduction paragraph.
Be sure to include all the
elements:
● Hook - generate interest
● Context - assume the reader has
not read The Metamorphosis; set it up
● Thesis statement (that includes
your theme statement)
Remember the “Magic Thesis
Statement” - fill in the blanks
Through (EVIDENCE - elements that conveyed the
theme to you), (book/play title/author)
reveals that (CLAIM - author’s purpose/ the
WHY); thus, (book/play title/author)
affirms that (SIGNIFICANCE - THEME
STATEMENT).
Sample introduction
paragraph
In a world where a person’s purpose and value are wholly dependent on
how much money they can make, one’s entire identity becomes tethered to
the means of making that money. What happens when the ability to make
money is suddenly taken away? It is possible for one to completely lose
sight of who they are and their place in the world, causing a complete loss
of identity. Franz Kafka, author of The Metamorphosis, addresses this crisis
of identity and what it feels like to lose oneself. Gregor Samsa, the sole
provider of the entire Samsa family (consisting of an unemployed father,
mother, and young teenaged sister), is sent into an intense identity crisis
brought on by his sudden and unexplained transformation into some kind of
insect, preventing him from continuing to support his family. Through the
use of existentialist ideas and the symbolism of physical change, Kafka
shares his belief that when identity doesn’t come from an understanding of
internal worth, one will feel anything but human.
Hook = Blue
Context = Green
Thesis = Red
Sample introduction
paragraph
In a world where a person’s purpose and value are wholly dependent on
how much money they can make, one’s entire identity becomes tethered to
the means of making that money. What happens when the ability to make
money is suddenly taken away? It is possible for one to completely lose
sight of who they are and their place in the world, causing a complete loss
of identity. Franz Kafka, author of The Metamorphosis, addresses this crisis
of identity and what it feels like to lose oneself. Gregor Samsa, the sole
provider of the entire Samsa family (consisting of an unemployed father,
mother, and young teenaged sister), is sent into an intense identity crisis
brought on by his sudden and unexplained transformation into some kind of
insect, preventing him from continuing to support his family. Through the
use of existentialist ideas and the symbolism of physical change, Kafka
shares his belief that when identity doesn’t come from an understanding of
internal worth, one will feel anything but human.
Time’s up!
Now...
You are going to swap with
someone else. Read through your
classmate’s and note if they have
included all the elements of a
thorough intro paragraph. If an
element is missing, note that on
their paper.
Peer editing...
Be honest with your feedback. Leave
comments on their paper.
When finished, you will get your intro back.
Read over your own again, then edit and
revise based on peer feedback. Everyone will
have something to improve upon.
On the back or a separate sheet of paper, rewrite your intro with revisions.
Body paragraph
...
Conclusion
...
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END